Flax oil vs. cod liver oil for omega 3

[araminta]

Hello, I've been taking flax oil 2g a day for several years.   At first it had a dramatic effect and my dry eye symptoms disappeared, however at the start of 2015 the dryness came back along with lots of other Sjogrens type symptoms.   So it doesn't appear to be having any beneficial effect now.   I am vegan and didn't want to take cod liver oil, but as I am getting desperate, having tried dozens of eye drops and gels including one without preservatives, none of which seem much help, I'm wondering if anyone here has compared flax oil vs. cod liver oil?   

I do have an appointment with an ophthalmologist but the NHS is very stretched at present and the appointment isn't till mid September - when I am hoping maybe they'll prescribe Restasis.

[Joe S.]

Fish oil makes me sick so I take flaxseed. I take 5800 units a day. It has lowered my cholesterol quite a bit. I am back to 5000 units of d3 per day. I was taking 2000 units of d3 but my levels were dropping.

Each one of us has our own unique impact by this disease. There are many alternative treatments that can be used for dry eyes. I use Reiki and toneations. I have trouble with drops. Others use drops or gels. There are glasses thathelp keep your eyes moist. Some people have plugs put in. Sometimes these treatments help sometimes they make it worse. Find what works for you.

[Deb 27]

I take Maxi Tears and it has a mixture of oils in it, Borage, Cod Liver, Flax Seed and other nutrients. It helps me a lot with my energy, pain and sense of well being. My cholesterol and triglycerides and sed rate were the best they've been in a while too.  Fish Oil bothers me too. This is in an enteric capsule, so no digestive upsets. Try some supplements and see which one works for you.

[araminta]

Thank you very much for your replies, Joe and Deb.   I'm glad you are both finding things to help you. I guess I will have to keep trying various options and see if anything makes a difference. 

[SjogiBear]

Just a thought but have you already tried Omega 7 oil, usually in the form of Sea Buckthorn Oil - I haven't tried it myself so cannot vouch for whether it's effective or not but I've been looking into it and anecdotally it seems to help some people.  Hopefully there may be some people on the forum who have tried it themselves.  I was just thinking that it's something vegan that you could try.

[araminta]

Thank you Sjogibear, I will look into that - I believe there are people here who have found sea buckthorn helpful.

[Jasper]

Araminta .....

My understanding is that the fish oil is a much better source for the Omega 3 EPA and DHA.

From Consumer Labs:

"Question: Is it better to take fish oil, flaxseed oil -- or both?"

"Answer:"
"Fish oil and flaxseed oil each provide omega-3 fatty acids, but only fish oil contains the omega-3s EPA and DHA, and has been shown to be helpful for conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis, inflammatory bowel disease, and depression. High-dose fish oil may help to lower very high triglyceride levels. 

Flaxseed oil, on the other hand, contains the omega-3 fatty acid ALA (alpha-linolenic acid) -- a very small percentage of which is converted into EPA and, to a lesser extent, DHA in the body. For this reason, it may be useful as a dietary supplement for people who are not getting EPA or DHA from fish/marine oils, however, because such small amounts are converted, it will not provide the clinical benefits shown for oils containing EPA and DHA. Studies show flaxseed oil may help to improve dry eye symptoms in people with the autoimmune disease Sjogren's syndrome, and may help to lower "bad" cholesterol in some people, but there is little evidence it's helpful for any other specific conditions.  ....."

https://www.consumerlab.com/answers/Is+it+better+to+take+fish+oil,+flaxseed+oil+--+or+both/fish_or_flax_oil/


And this is from Harvard Health Publications

"Why not flaxseed oil?"

"The third omega-3

"..... Flaxseed oil is being heavily promoted as an alternative to fish oil. The health benefits of fish oil are believed to derive principally from two omega-3 fats, eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA). Flaxseed oil contains a third, plant-based omega-3, alpha-linolenic acid (ALA). Other foods (especially walnuts) and oils (canola and soybean, for example) contain ALA. But at about 7 grams per tablespoon, flaxseed oil is by far the richest source.

The main problem with ALA is that to have the good effects attributed to omega-3s, it must be converted into EPA and DHA. As a result, only a small fraction of it has omega-3's effects . So in terms of omega-3 "power," a tablespoon of flaxseed oil is worth about 700 milligrams (mg) of EPA and DHA. That's still more than the 300 mg of EPA and DHA in many 1-gram fish oil capsules, but far less than what the 7 grams listed on the label might imply.
A serving is six capsules

A better comparison might be between the fish oil and flaxseed oil capsules. The first thing to notice about flaxseed oil is the serving size. For the Spectrum brand, it's six capsules! A single fish oil capsule will give you the same amount of omega-3.
The bottom line

Flaxseed oil will give your diet a nice little omega-3 boost in the form of alpha-linolenic acid. But it's a backup, not a substitute, for the omega-3s in fish and fish oil because of the conversion factor. If you're in need of omega-3s but are concerned about mercury, fish oil capsules might be a good choice."

http://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/why-not-flaxseed-oil

[araminta]

Jasper, many thanks for your reply and those quotes.   I don't have RA or high triglycerides, my worst symptom apart from fatigue is the dry eyes.   As I said, flax oil did seem to work for that problem a few years ago, but not any more.

I think I might reluctantly try cod liver oil for a month or two and see if it makes a difference.

[litliwlowa]

Just a quick word about flaxseed oil from my breast cancer dietitian. I can't recall the name of the phytoestrogen in flaxseed oil, but women to need to be aware the oil form contains phytoestrogen. I was advised that flax seeds themselves do not contain phytoestrogens.

The alternative I use, as fish oil is not an option for me due to intolerance or sensitivity, is raw shelled organic hemp seeds and organic hemp oil. Easy enough to toss into a dish or add to a salad. No phytoestrogens in either of those option.

Walnuts are also a good source of omega 3's.

[araminta]

Thank you litl - I will do a bit of research into hemp seed.

[SunshineDaydream]

My research revealed that fish oil (though not necessarily cod liver oil) is a better source of omega 3 than flaxseed oil.

It is my understanding that flaxseed oil has to convert to be useful, and doesn't metabolize well so its not efficient and you would have to take much more of it than expected to get the same results as you would from less fish oil. Also, taken together flaxseed oil and fish oil compete with each other so that's not very effective. My eyes have improved after stopping flaxseed oil and continuing with higher doses of fish oil twice per day. I take either two BioGanix Ultra Omerga-3 Triple Strength fish oil capsules or three Nature's Bounty Maximum Strength (1400 mg each) in the morning and again in the early evening. If you're averse to fish oil, I have found that adding vitamin A to my morning mix has also helped with eye moisture. I use Country Life Dry Vitamin A 10,000 i.u. tablet.

I find Restasis is also helpful. Hopefully you'll have an opportunity to try it as a result of your next eye appointment.

[SunshineDaydream]

Oh, another thing I recently found to be helpful is Soothe eye drops. They contain mineral oil and live up to their name. They really are soothing! Factor in a few seconds of blurry vision after application, though.

[bartolo]

As few posters above mentioned, flax oil contains ALA, which needs to be converted to EPA and DHA and this conversion is very poor.

Fish oil (or cod liver oil) already contains EPA and DHA. But, this alone does not mean a thing. If fish oil is better source of EPA and DHA, it does not mean it's better for anything.

From what I've found so far, the only effect of fish oil for which some evidence exists is a decrease of triglyceride levels. That's pretty much it.

Here's the comparison of flaxseed oil, fish oil, cod liver oil and krill oil:
http://www.primehealthchannel.com/fish-cod-liver-krill-flaxseed-oil.html 

WebMD website says there is "insufficient evidence" about the effectiveness of fish oil in prevention of dry eyes In Sjogren's. I usually read "insufficient evidence" as "it does not work."

Cod liver oil (but not fish oil) can be high in vitamin A. Vitamin A deficiency can cause dry eyes. Just saying.

[Lindabridge]

The first and only time I ever took flaxseed oil resulted in me having to go to the ER. I didn't realize that my severely dry eyes were related to Sjogren's,( which I was blissfully ignorant of), and thought that I could cure myself with this simple and natural solution.

I took one tablespoon of Barclean's, supposedly organic and  pesticide free, found in the refrigerated section of a reputable health food store. Within a half hour, I developed a rash, and a tight feeling in my chest. I thought I was having an anaphylactic reaction, but the doctors told me it was a severe allergic reaction.

When I recovered, I learned that flaxseed oil can cause severe gastrointestinal distress and toxic reactions. I have no idea why, but I suspect it can be either the phytoestrogens, or the pesticides that affect the crops. There is no guaranteed for " organic."
After reading these posts, I'm going to try getting my omega 3s from fish oil. Like someone else on this forum, krill oil gave me weird bruises.

[araminta]

Thanks very much for your recent posts Sunshine, Bartolo and Linda.   It's obviously a complicated subject.   I think I will hold off using any new treatment for my eyes till I see the ophthalmologist in September.